It lacks very little to 2014 and I find myself talking about a book that struck me in October of this year for its beautiful cover (I had mentioned in my Cover Lovers, here). I started reading it during these holidays, just as I was traveling to London, but you will read my review in the coming days.

I can anticipate that so far I like it and it reminds me the atmosphere of “Downton Abbey” (though in fact the historical period is completely different). Initially I did not know it was a series, but it is not something that stopped my curiosity about the story.

Forced to flee her father’s brutal heir, Miss Anneliese Barlow masquerades as Lisa Brown, a commoner, in the grand country mansion of the Duke of Worthington. Discovering the life she’d known was a virtual fairy tale, and reality a dark and forbidding place, Lisa faces danger at every turn.

Captivated by the beautiful maid, the duke’s heir, Lord Marsden, decides the only way to keep the new girl safe—and close—is by offering her his protection. With her reputation ruined and all hope of returning to her previous station seemingly lost, Lisa surrenders her virtue, finding unexpected passion in Nathaniel’s arms.

Despite her misgivings about the dubious morality of the role, she accepts the position of Nathaniel’s mistress, but the future is fraught with uncertainty. If her identity is uncovered, Lisa’s innocence won’t be the only thing that’s lost.

Elise met the love of her life when she was only sixteen, married him three years later, and recently celebrated her thirtieth wedding anniversary. Needless to say, she is a big believer in living Happily Ever After. With a lifetime’s worth of experience behind her, Elise also believes great relationships don’t just happen, they take work … which doesn’t mean writing about them can’t be a whole lot of fun.After surviving all manner of health obstacles while raising a family and nursing her elderly grandmother—her writing namesake, though she’d have been shocked by her granddaughter’s steamy love scenes—Elise established a career as a counselor and family therapist. Seeking an escape from the stresses of her work, she discovered the world of fan fiction, and her timid writer’s muse began to make its voice heard. Two point three million hits, twelve and a half thousand reviews, and an email from an acquisitions editor at The Writer’s Coffee Shop later, and Elise’s life found a new and fascinating direction. A romantic fiction addict from way back, writing her own historical and paranormal romances—and having others read and fall in love with her characters and the worlds she creates—is a dream come true. Elise likes to see her characters grow, experience passion and adventure, tackle some difficult issues, and find lasting love … eventually.